Strategy, boils down to one essential truth: making choices about where to play and where not to play. Simple, right? Yet “simple is tough to execute! For example, it might seem easier to take a “please everyone” approach to strategy, yet rarely does this translate into success. In reality, pleasing everyone muddles the enterprise’s focus […]
Read More… from The Power of Strategic Focus: How Making Tough Choices Saved Bombardier
The French call it the “raison d’être”; others call it your “purpose” or your “why”. Herbert Joly, the CEO of Best Buy, penned an article in HBR describing how he needed to find the company’s “Why” before he could turn around the then failing business. When Joly first became CEO of Best Buy, the large […]
In 2017 Porsche America launched the Porsche Passport Program. Available only in the USA and Canada and by invitation only, selected individuals could participate for a one-time payment of $3500 and $595/mo. Passport members have access to seven different Porsche brands (19 models in total) to drive anytime they wish. Each car is delivered to […]
The Olympic Games are always a special time and provide an opportunity to learn about the journeys that elite athletes have taken to reach the pinnacle of their sport. No matter what event an athlete competes in, or what country they represent, there are a few traits that unite these talented people. There are many […]
PACCAR, a maker of large transport trucks, was in big trouble in the 1980’s. Some may recall the late 1970’s and 80’s when strong Asian competition enter the North American automotive market. However, it was the Europeans who provided the strong foreign competition in the large haul class 8 truck market. Daimler had picked up […]
In 1976 Anita Roddick opened The Body Shop skin care store in Brighton England. She was a pioneer in the cosmetics industry tapping into a customer segment that was concerned for the environment, animal welfare and a desire to use “natural” cosmetic products that were ethically sourced. An activist at heart, Ms. Roddick believed a […]
Manufacturing an iconic brand isn’t enough. To ensure survival, management must have a passion to lead the market in new directions and keep introducing value adding innovations. While Johnson and Evinrude outboard motors aren’t the first iconic brands to nose dive into oblivion, what they did do well was to provide is a great example […]
A technical advantage doesn’t always translate into a competitive market advantage. To fully realize a competitive market advantage, you must ensure the product meets the standard of a ‘minimal viable product’. This means there are certain criteria customers expect you to meet to be considered as an alternative purchase. As Bombardier discovered with its ill-fated […]
Read More… from Flying too Close to the Sun – the C-Series passenger Jet
While on holidays, I overheard my wife’s online Yoga instructor say “Where attention goes, energy flows”. Her quote spilling out of the yoga studio gave me pause and I thought how this maxim equally applies to business and how important it is for business leaders to ensure the attention of the business is focused in […]
Admit it … we all pray. I’m not speaking in religious terms but over centuries people have prayed to different deities for many reasons….protection from aggressors, for rain to grow crops, sunshine to harvest them. In my case it might have been for my hockey team to snatch success from the jaws of defeat or […]
